Boosting SMS, the Affle way

Affle launches SMS 2.0 in India
and Singapore in partnership with
Nokia.

27 June, 2007

The technology that revolutionised
communication has just got a facelift.
An enhanced version of SMS (short
message system) that would allow users
to view more content and do searches
on their mobile phones has just hit
the hot spot in the market places all
over.

The new technology comes courtesy of
Britain-based technology company Affle.
The company has unveiled SMS 2.0 which
maintains the simplicity and ease of
text messaging, but adds more choices
for the mobile phone user, an agency
report said. Significanty, the first
launches happened in Singapore and
India. Affle has said that Malaysia,
Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines,
China, Taiwan, Japan and Australia are
expected to be added to coverage
within the next two years.

Top Affle officials added that many of
the SMS 2.0 content would be offered
free-of-cost. They will be financed by
advertisements which promise to be
unobtrusive on the screen. Meanwhile,
the cost of sending a text message
would be unchanged, Affle said. This
tech innovation may be considered a
first of its kind and takes off from
the concept of text messaging.

How does SMS 2.0 work? Once a switches
on his mobile phone, SMS 2.0 is
launched by default. The rest remains
the same on how one used to send or
receive text messages. The Additions
include the array of content banners
on the bottom end of the screen, which
offer news, astrology, travel, videos
and what not. The company has hinted
at plans to add a search option too.

On the business part, Affle has
initially partnered with phone-maker
Nokia for the handsets. Media company
GroupM, part of London-based
communications services giant WPP
Group, will support its expansion
plans, a report said. In the Indian
scene, leading telecom player Airtel
and Times Internet Ltd have been roped
in as partners.